They'd discussed hunting a larger prey animal and harvesting it's skin and any other pieces they could find uses for earlier, as it was time they begun to truly settle down and make this place feel like home. Iðunn had woken up early, rising with the sun as usual, but left her cousin to sleep in a little while she spent time offering up a short prayer to Ullr to bless their hunt that day. By the time she was finished the sun was well above the horizon, and as silently as the wind itself, she crept over to Víðarr to gently shake him awake by prodding his shoulder. "Let's go, try not to wake the others," she said in a hushed whisper, not waiting for any response before creeping away so as to not disturb the others. If he took his time waking up and getting ready that was on him, but she would head out north to begin scenting for any prey with or without him. He could follow her trail and catch up if he was slow to rise that morning, not that he often was, which was something she admired about it. Iðunn raised her muzzle into the air, breathing in deeply and picking up hints of Dall sheep and whitetail deer in the distance. She would be fine with either, and would leave it up to Víðarr to decide what was on the menu for the day.

Sleep had come easily to him, something that Víðarr could be grateful for. Lately it was either he or Sanngriðr that was restless, seeming to trade their nightmares back and forth between them. Such was life when you had been on the run for as long as they had. Nightmares, bad nights of rest, all of it had become... well, it had become the standard. Víðarr was grateful, at least, that they'd stopped running. They'd settled in somewhat. Hell, even Iðunn liked this place enough to consider settling in here. And it was the priestess herself that shook Víðarr from his dreamy state. He grumbled deep in his chest, stretching and yawning. Try not to wake the others, sure. The shadow disentangled himself from his older sister. He stretched and yawned, pulling himself to his paws, stomach rumbling. A hunt-- now was as good a time as any. He was quick to chase the sleep from his bones, quick on broad paws with confident steps. There was no time to waste, not when it would only get warmer. "Deer," he tested the word in the common tongue before wrinkling his nose, disliking the way it tasted in his mouth. Nope, that wasn't ideal. "Rådjur," but it was just slightly different than the roe deer back home. Would likely taste just as good, the shadow decided. With a glance to the priestess, Víðarr lowered his head to the scent and took off on the trail. VÍÐARR Ragnarök awaits.

tracking & hunting 1/3

Víðarr wasted no time in joining her, and for that she was thankful. There were many things she wanted to do, the first of which was get food sorted for the day. Between everyone in the group they went through the food quite quickly. At least with two wolves it would be easier to hunt something larger than a hare, and two sets of paws would make dragging it back to camp a breeze. Her nose wrinkled at his use of the common tongue, giving him a side eye with a single raised brow. It seemed he wasn't too fond of the word either, which brought her a sense of amusement. She agreed with his choice, however, and already had a few uses lined up for the antlers. "Lead the way cousin." Iðunn followed behind him as he began to follow the scent trail, lengthening her stride to keep up easily with his longer legs. It didn't take them long to find the deer herd, and she peeked around one of the larger trees to observe them silently, her gaze flitting between the different ungulates to find either a young bull deer, or one that was somewhat injured or older. Taking on a bull in its prime with just the two of them would be very risky, but she found that risk to be acceptable if they had some sort of edge over it. She spotted an older bull, possibly even older than her, that favoured one of its legs as it walked while grazing. With a gentle bump of her shoulder against Víðarr's, she silently motioned to the bull deer with her muzzle to see if he agreed with her choice. Hunting 1/3

They really are quite the pair. The shadow is denser and slower, moving with a well intentioned thunder. Iðunn is far more graceful and poised. Together, though, they do their best. They do their absolute best. A bit of amusement glimmered in his icy eyes as well, and on Iðunn's invitation, he offers a grin over his shoulder. Víðarr's pace was even, relaxed, treading carefully so as to not make too much noise. Carefully, he led their track downwind of the herd that he'd caught on the wind. Couldn't tip the herd off to their presence. He stilled as they drew near enough to see them, scattered about and resting in a clearing. Icy gaze scanning the group, but the priestess was faster. Her shoulder against his, following her gaze-- ah. Iðunn was bright, and for that, he was lucky. Víðarr nodded once. Not only was the creature showing its age, he was on the closer edge of the clearing. The others would take off safely, and Ullr would smile upon them with this meal. "You're faster, do you want to cut around and push him toward me?" Víðarr's gaze on his older cousin was intent, the words coming as barely more than a breath. Still, he mouthed each sound with intention, hoping it was good enough and she'd pick up enough of the plan. Iðunn could herd the bull in his direction, and the shadow could catch and hold it. Together it should be a quick, safe affair. VÍÐARR Ragnarök awaits.

tracking and hunting 2/3

She simply nodded in response to his directions, softly brushing her side against him as she moved back and away to flank around to the side of the herd, making sure the wind didn't blow her scent towards them. It would be easier if she had access to herbs and other strong-smelling items they could cover themselves with to disguise their wolf musk, but perhaps she would work on that sooner rather than later. At least that way they didn't have to be as careful while getting into position. Iðunn kept her body low to the ground, her steps as light as a feather blowing on the wind as she moved, until finally she was far enough on the other side that she could quickly dart out to chase the rest of the herd away, but prevent the old bull deer from running with the others. Her head turned to where her cousin lay in wait, making sure he was ready, before with a silent leap she burst forth from the undergrowth. She skirted to the side of her target, snapping her teeth at the hocks of the does to spur them away. The bull deer snorter, head raising as he skittered away from her, but she pushed off against the ground to change course and cut him off, allowing the rest of the deer to scatter. It spun to face her directly, and for a moment she thought it would put up a fight, so she raised up on her hind legs with a few snaps of her jaws to try and intimidate it. Whether it was her action, or if the bull decided a fight wasn't worth it, it turned to flee away from her, trying to follow some of the does that had fled vaguely in Víðarr's direction. Iðunn waste no time in taking chase, staying hot on its heels and using her lithe body to dart side to side to keep it heading straight towards her cousin. She didn't want it escaping now, not after all the effort she put into delivering it right to him. Hunting 2/3

As low stakes as this particular hunt was, it was still exciting. There was something in his system that was wonderful, beautiful, and deadly. A well oiled machine. The cousins split apart with their plan in mind, the shadow taking up a spot that would allow him to easily catch the bull as it was funneled toward the trees. By the time Iðunn leapt from her spot within the trees, he was in position and ready. As the engagement started, the shadow faded closer. When their quarry turned to face the priestess, Víðarr saw the opening. The creature was already scared and scatterbrained, he didn't have to worry about disguising his scent or his steps. Excellent. Víðarr charged from the dappled sunlight of the trees, crashing into the thing as hard and as fast as he could. They went tumbling together, and he made sure to fell the creature away from his lighter companion. He'd learned from their last engagement, after having taken the elk down far too close for comfort near his sisters. No, this time was different, and he managed to catch the creature's hind leg in his mouth. As Víðarr and the deer both hit the ground, he could hear and feel a sickening sort of crack. Hell, it took the shadow a spare moment to realize that the crack hadn't come from his own body, but he wouldn't let go now. The deer flailed, and managed to kick Víðarr loose, but it would not get up again. The shadow could feel his shoulder already beginning to bleed, having scraped against a rock when he landed. As he staggered to his feet, there was a modest pride that washed over his system. Iðunn could take the blessings that came with the final blow today. VÍÐARR Ragnarök awaits.

tracking and hunting 3/3

She could see Víðarr bursting forth from his hidden position towards them, but at the speed the bull deer was travelling at it had no time to dart out of the way, and she heard the dull thud of the two crashing together. They both fell, and instead of piling on straight away Iðunn skidded to a stop and began circling, head low as she bared her teeth. She would wait for a good opportunity to attack, rather than jumping in with no thought and potentially getting herself or her cousin injured. Perhaps she was being too cautious, but the rest of her family were hot-headed enough that someone needed to be calm and collected for the rest of them. The sickening crack seemed to almost reverb in her head, and her head whipped around to make sure Víðarr wasn't the one that had become injured, but the bugling of the bull instead of a pained whine told her it was the deer that the crack had originated from. She watched as he was thrown backwards by a stray kick from the non-injured leg, and she circled around to where it's head was just as he got back up to his feet, taking that as her signal to end it before any more injuries happened. Iðunn silently struck, almost like a cobra with the speed of it, her jaws clamping so tightly right around its throat that blood spurted everywhere. It dribbled down her maw to her chest, and with a low growl she roughly shook her head, feeling muscle and sinew tear with the motion. The bull deer kicked out weakly as it gurgled beneath her, and only when it stilled did she let go, licking her lips as she locked gazes with Víðarr, a triumphant look in her icy blue eyes. "Nice work cousin." One scraped shoulder was a good trade-off for a bull deer any day, and she couldn't help the small grin that appeared on her face. Hunting 3/3

She wasn't wrong-- most of them were rather hot headed and quick to act. Strike first, ask questions later. Something that may have gotten them into trouble, on occasion. It was often that Sanngriðr and Iðunn were the ones bailing Víðarr and Róta out of sticky situations. Sometimes a bit of caution was important, after all. As the shadow righted himself and shook the dirt from his coat, he couldn't help but return his cousin's grin. She'd dealt a clean death to the creature, doing them all proud as always. "You too," his words were breathy. It would take the hulking creature a moment more to catch his breath before moving to the bull's front. "Ullr smiles today," the words come with a smile of his own. "And it's cool out... sheep next?" After all, what was the harm in going after the sheep they'd scented as well? Víðarr still felt good, having all the energy in the world coursing through his veins. A light mist had begun to kick up in the forest, and he was awfully pleased with it. The dampness and soft breeze would be enough to keep the day from getting too hot. The shadow moved easily in time with Iðunn to set about dragging the carcass back to camp, tail wagging happily with the spoils of their hunt. VÍÐARR Ragnarök awaits.

Her gaze brightened at his affirming words of Ullr, grateful that at least one of her cousins shared such a strong bond with the gods. Sometimes it felt like she was suffocating being around Sanngriðr and Róta for too long, especially on days where their lack of reverence for the gods was more obvious. At the idea of also hunting a sheep that they had scented she nodded. While they were out and about it would make sense to go hunt something else, but she'd have to wash the blood off first lest she alert the ungulates to their presence. "Two hunts in one day? Ullr would be proud." She helped him drag the deer carcass back to camp, clamping down on a hind leg and clearing her mind to the menial task, not thinking about the way her muscles began to ache once they were within sight of home. When they finally released it, letting it flop on the ground, she stood back and let out a deep exhale. "Wash the blood off first or we'll be easier to detect, and you should rinse the scrape on your shoulder too," she said to Víðarr, already turning to head towards a nearby water source. The blood had begun to dry on her fur, congealing into clumps, with some areas already dried and flaking off. It was only a quick dip of her front end into the water, using a forepaw to scrub at the worst of the blood, then stepping back and shaking all the water out of her fur. Some bits of blood still remained, but it was good enough. Turning to her cousin she would wait till he cleaned his wound before scenting the air to figure out where the sheep were. It seemed to be coming more from the east, and she shook out her head once more before raising her head and following the scents as they blew their way on the wind. Two hunts in one day would be just what the group needed.

Víðarr dropped the bull in a heap at the edge of camp, calling softly for Sanngriðr. She should be awake by now, and it would be best to begin breaking down the creature sooner rather than later. Wouldn't want to attract any unsavory creatures that would be looking for a free meal, after all. The valkyrie appeared from the shadow cast by the wall and set about it, and Víðarr retreated to the stream nearby to clean himself. It didn't take long, and that was for the best-- the shadow rather detested baths. Still, it was fine. He grumbled as he rinsed clean the scraped shoulder, feeling the cool water rush over his raw flesh. Soon it would scab, and he could be thankful for that much. Víðarr did his best to scrub any remaining blood from the elk away against the rocks, taking care to clear it from his maw and the thick fur of his neck and chest. As always, this was about as good as he was going to get. Quickly, he shook as much of the stream water as he could from his shadowy pelt. Víðarr stepped to Iðunn's side, raising his nose to the wind as well. Right, to the east from where they stood. He took a few broad, careful steps in that direction, and then paused. The mountains in this direction were dangerous, extremely so. It was doable, but they needed to stick together, and stay smart about things. "We go no farther than the foothills." His tone was gruff, serious. There would be no losses today, he wouldn't allow it. With that, Víðarr began his slow, easy jog in the direction of the scent. The sheep were better than they on the mountainous terrain, but in the foothills they would be fine. This time of year, there should be some solitary groups of males, and picking one off wouldn't be too difficult. In the direction of the scent, Víðarr was happy to lead the way. VÍÐARR Ragnarök awaits.

tracking & hunting - 1/3

Satisfied with how her cousin had cleaned his shoulder, she shifted her thoughts from him to the tantalising scent in the air, gauging that it would take them in the direction of the mountains. Víðarr had seemingly come to the same conclusion as her, evident by the gruff words he spoke at her. If she had been anything but calm, collected, and serious, she might have rolled her eyes at him, but she understood the importance behind the serious tone. Sheep were much better suited to the mountainous topography than they, and one slip was all it would take for a couple of broken bones, or even death. Iðunn gently brushed her side up against his with a low purr in her throat, meeting his gaze for just a second as she nodded at him to show she would be careful, and heed his instructions. While she knew how to hunt and fight, those were not her priority tasks, and so would leave those final decisions to him due to his greater experience. She followed closely behind him, taking note as the terrain became more rugged and dangerous, but perhaps it could be used to their advantage. "If you were to perch upon a large boulder, I could chase a suitable target your way, and you can jump on it from above?" With his large weight he could certainly crush a sheep beneath him, and it would hopefully make it easier to take it down rather than risking it turning around and trying to fight them if they cornered it or caught up to it. As they reached a small group of young males she slowed her pace, body crouching as she stretched out her limbs in slow and careful steps, eyes narrowing once she caught full sight of the sheep. One of the males had a good set of horns on him, large and unbroken, but not too curled that it would be impossible to use or carry around, and she let out a whisper of a noise to alert Víðarr to it. She had a few ideas of what to use the horns for, one of which being filling with mead during a festival, and so taking one down with a good set on its head without breaking the horns in the process was just as imperative to her as harvesting the meat from it. Hunting 1/3

He was gruff because he cared. Frankly, if it had been anyone other than the even tempered Iðunn, the shadow wouldn't have even considered going near the mountain. A broken bone with their lifestyle could spell death on its own... he wouldn't take risks with their lives. Víðarr cared deeply, maybe too much. If that was his folly, so be it. She would be careful. It was good enough for him. His jog was loose, never losing track of the scent on the breeze. Everything around him was damp, and it seemed to hold the scent better the nearer they got. Thoughtfully, he considered his cousin's words. "See this corner?" He spoke softly, quietly, gesturing to a corner created by the natural outcropping of stone. "I can wait on top, you drive one towards that corner?" It was a quiet strategizing, trying to make sure they had the highest rate of success, and Víðarr wouldn't break his own ass in the process. The drop wasn't much, maybe six or seven feet, but it was down wind and Víðarr could tuck himself away easily in the shadows where he couldn't be seen or smelled. The particular sheep that the priestess chose was at the edge of the others, one they could cut away from the group. The shadow nodded, making his way to his position atop the rocky outcropping and tucking away. All Víðarr needed to do now was wait with baited breath. VÍÐARR Ragnarök awaits.

tracking & hunting - 2/3

At his question she looked over, her gaze following where he had gestured to, and taking a good long look. The stone looked sturdy enough to hold his weight, and it looked narrow enough that it would have to squeeze past which would give him ample time and opportunity to jump down on top of it. The plan sounded well thought-out to her ears, and she gave him a brief nod of acknowledgement before slowly stalking off in a half-circle around the herd. She wanted to cut off as many of the sheep to limit the number that fled towards where Víðarr would lay in wait. Once in position she waited for a few moments, eyeing the Dall sheep where they grazed peacefully until the one she was after was looking away from her, before suddenly leaping forth from the undergrowth with a sharp bark to send them scattering. From the angle she had dived in majority of the group fled away from her cousin, leaving just two for her to separate. Iðunn lengthened her stride to catch up to the pair as they took off at a sprint, managing to get up next to the one she didn't want and snapping at its front shoulder. It let out a bleated cry and took off the side, leaving her primary target on its own. She could practically smell the fear of the herbivore as she herded it towards the stone corner, dancing from side to side whenever it tried to turn and run back to its friends, snapping her jaws together loudly to spur it onwards. They were getting closer to the point at which Víðarr needed to play his part, and once she'd herded the sheep close enough she would hit the brakes and stop suddenly so she wasn't at risk of being squished as well. As long as he didn't injure himself, and the horns remained unbroken, this would be a good hunt. Hunting 2/3

At least to the shadow, it seemed like a good idea. Could he be wrong? Yes. Did he have Iðunn to bail him out (likely begrudgingly) if he fucked it up? Also yes. As he took his place on the rock and waited, he realized something-- the view here really was pretty nice. Still, Víðarr wouldn't allow himself to get too distracted. After all, this was important work they were doing. The man was doing his best for his family. He'd always do his best for his family.

As his cousin herded the sheep in, Víðarr sprung from his perch. It wasn't the graceful spring he was hoping for, but it was good enough. With a great, menacing grumble from his throat, the shadow came tumbling down on the prey. Still, it wouldn't give up without a fight. Though the sheep was on the ground, it kicked and it thrashed. Víðarr's teeth gnashed and snapped, looking for purchase on the back of the ram's neck. The creature made a valiant effort, but it wouldn't be enough. One sharp hoof clipped the tender flesh below the shadow's eye, and he could feel the gash as it started to bleed. A brilliant, brassy laugh echoed from his throat.

In all things, Víðarr had fun. This was perhaps the most fun of all. Still, with his poor angle on the creature, it would take Iðunn to finish things off.

"Viðarr"

tracking & hunting - 3/3

She slowed and skittered to the side as Víðarr dropped down from above, shoving it firmly to the ground with a loud thud that almost shook the ground itself. The ram flailed and cried out, every movement screaming desperation, but Iðunn simply slowed to a stop and watched with heaving breaths, tail lashing at her ankles. He found purchase on the back of its neck, and she swiftly moved in a semi-circle, head lowered with silently bared teeth to await an opening in the flailing legs. His bite alone wouldn't be enough to kill it, and she would welcome the opportunity to do it herself.

Like a snake she darted forward, jaws clamping firmly at the delicate flesh of its throat without so much as a growl. She was for the most part a silent killer, only making noise when she needed to scare the prey or announce her presence, but in this instance majority of the work was done already. Blood spurted forth from the wounds as she wrenched her head to the side, feeling flesh tear. The sheep gurgled below her, legs become more still with each moment that passed until finally it moved no more. It was only then she let go, relishing in the dripping of blood down her chin.

Her icy blue gaze lifted up to Víðarr then, eyes alight with an unusual delighted expression, marred only by the furring of her brows at the obvious blook leaking from underneath an eye. Of course he couldn't go one damned hunt without suffering an injury, but she supposed that's what she was there for. She couldn't expect him to be ruthless and careful, after all.

"If you lose an eye I'm telling Sanngriðr it was all your fault," she said with a soft huff, lips twitching up just slightly in the smallest of smiles. Iðunn was only half teasing, very much willing to go through with her threat if it came to it.

Hunting 3/3

There's something about them together, the way they work, the way they move. They're brilliant. They're so brilliant. Iðunn is a creature that some would consider... strange. That's true. She's strange, she's oddly delighted by violence, and she has some weird manners. Between the pair though, there hangs an understanding. Together they're something greater than the sum of parts. Together they're efficient in a way that many could only dream of being. It's excellent. By the gods, together they are excellent.

Viðarr lets go a brassy chuckle as she teases about his losing an eye. Some day, probably, but likely not today. It's true, he couldn't help himself but to get injured sometimes. It was the way of the berserker, something that couldn't be tamed. Iðunn should know that as well as any, and he suspects that she does. Still, she's not wrong. From just below his eye, he bleeds slowly. The shadow can taste his own blood in his mouth, and it coats his teeth as he grins. "Odin lost an eye and he's still hot," it's roguish. The grin that plays on his features is broad, and reaches clear up to his eyes.

He catches his breath with a shake of his shadowy pelt and a stretch. "I'm tired," he laments after a moment. Still, it's not a complaint. No. It's something far better, far more lovely. Viðarr is satisfied with the day's work, and it's time to head back. It's time to head home.

"Viðarr"